Keys events include last year’s intense North Atlantic hurricane season, the costliest ever in US history. The total cost of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria is estimated to be around US$ 265 billion, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Climate impacts hit vulnerable nations especially hard, with a recent study by the International Monetary Fund warning that a 1 °C increase in temperature would significantly hit economic growth rates in many low-income countries.

Severe internal displacement caused by droughts and food insecurity were observed in Somalia where 892,000 drought-related displacements were recorded by the UN between November 2016 and December 2017. As of June 2017, more than half of Somalia’s cropland was affected by drought, while herds were decreased around 40 to 60 per cent since December 2016.

Floods also badly affected the agricultural sector in Asian countries, according to the report. For example, heavy rains in May 2017 triggered severe flooding and landslides in south-western areas of Sri Lanka. The negative impact on crop production aggravated food security conditions in the country already stricken by drought.

Ocean acidification also increased across the world, affecting the health of coral reefs and the quality of aquaculture raised fish and seafood, and impacting coastal economies, the report said.

Future Climate Impacts

The report found that found global mean temperatures in 2017 was 1.1 C above pre-industrial temperatures and was one of the three hottest years on record.

The average global temperature during 2013 – 2017 is the highest five-year average on record, with the report also pointing to continued sea levels and the melting of sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

According to WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, the trends indicate that 2018 will bring further threats to both livelihoods and human health.